The complete destruction of the Washington Post sports section amidst wider layoffs at the legendary paper was one of the saddest episodes in the long, slow decline of American journalism. But now Jeff Bezos and company are reportedly trying to go back in time and undo some of the damage they have done.
According to Natalie Korach at Status, Bezos hosted a private gathering with top Post employees at his DC mansion in order to rally the troops after the demoralizing and destabilizing layoffs. The meeting represented rare hands-on involvement from the uber-rich billionaire who has largely remained in the shadows while the paper has been decimated.
Bezos has been hammered for his stewardship of the paper, especially since Donald Trump has risen back to power. He neutered the paper’s editorial section, and Amazon fronted the infamous propaganda film starring Melania Trump. The cozying up has paid off, as Bezos’ Blue Origin space company was awarded a military contract, and he shook hands with Pete Hegseth at an event in Florida. Democracy may die in darkness, but Jeff Bezos and his business interests certainly won’t.
The major news to come from the meeting and developments thereafter for the Washington Post is an astonishing turnaround and a major admission that the paper’s leadership, including Bezos, may be in over their heads. Korach reports that Washington Post leadership has begun reaching out to laid-off staffers individually to gauge their interest in returning to the paper.
These overtures span multiple sections of the paper but also include outreach to individuals from the sports department that no longer exists at the Washington Post. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad, especially given that many former Washington Post sportswriters and reporters have already been hired en masse at both ESPN and The Athletic. Trying to take a mulligan and get staffers back now is like asking the Wizards to start guarding Bam Adebayo finally.
While Bezos tries to make the paper profitable, one source noted to Status that the sports department was one that was actually capable of selling ad space, which somehow may not have been considered when it was completely nuked into oblivion.
The evisceration of the Washington Post sports section has shocked everyone across sports and in the media. What once was the home of great American sportswriting with the likes of Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon has now become a ghost town filled with detached Associated Press copy.
If the Post is indeed going this route, it’s not only an admission that it made a huge mistake by gutting the sports department, but also an admission that the paper’s leadership is completely lost on where to go next.
